Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with 3 T oil. Season chicken with thyme, salt and pepper and add to the hot skillet. Cook for until done on the outside, then move to one side of the skillet.

Add pignoli to the skillet and toast over moderate heat. Add 1T oil, onion, celery, red pepper flakes, and nutmeg. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until the celery and onions are tender. Add the stock, and cook until the pan is almost dry. Add the white wine, and cherries continue to cook until there is only about 1/2 cup of liquid left in the pan. Turn the heat off the under the pan. Add butter in small pieces and whisk until it has completely melted.

In a heavy-bottom saucepan, combine the milk and cream. Place over medium-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally so a skin doesn't form, until tiny bubbles start to form around the edges and the mixture reaches a temperature of 170°F.

Meanwhile, in a medium heat-proof bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth. Gradually whisk in the sugar until it is well incorporated and the mixture is thick and pale yellow. Temper the egg yolks by very slowly pouring in the hot milk mixture while whisking continuously. Return the custard to the saucepan and place over low heat. Cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon and it reaches a temperature of 185°F. Do not bring to a boil.

Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl and let cool to room temperature, stirring every 5 minutes or so. Once completely cooled, cover and refrigerate until very cold, at least 4 hours or overnight.

Gently whisk the lime juice and zest into the base. Pour the mixture into the container of an ice cream machine and churn. (Optional: Just after churning quickly stir in the graham cracker crumbs.) Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for at least 2 hours before serving.

Combine the flour, cinnamon, shortening, sugar and salt, and wetting gradually with the wine, knead together with fingers until rather hard dough or paste is formed. Form into a ball, cover with a cloth and let stand for about 1 hour. Cut dough in half and roll half of the dough into a thin sheet about 1/4-inch thick or less and cut into 4-inch ovals.

Place a metal tube diagonally across each oval lengthwise. Wrap dough around tube by overlapping the 2 sides, sealing the overlapping sides with a little egg white. Meanwhile heat vegetable oil in a large deep pan for deep frying. Drop 1 or 2 of the tubes at a time into the hot oil, fry gently on all sides until dough turns a golden brown color. Remove from pan, let cool a little, gently remove shell from the metal tube. Set shells aside to become cold. Repeat procedure until shells are all made.

NOTES:

The flavor was really good and the marsala added a nice, distinct flavor.

We made the first ones about 1/4" thick as indicated, and they were BAD! (Didn't get crispy and too tough.) It worked much better to roll it as thin as possible (we could practically see through the dough).

Instead of ovals, we'd roll them more into circles to give a nicer finished look. (More filling exposed to dip into pistachios or chocolate shavings.)

The egg white is essential to make it all stick together while frying, but try to keep the it off the cannoli tubes so it doesn't make them stick.

The oil was heated to about 380 F. There was nothing indicated in the recipe and we just guessed.

The filling made about 16 cannoli, and there were more shells than that. I've put some in the freezer to see if that works well.

DO NOT FILL THEM TOO FAR AHEAD OF TIME. They were pretty soggy by the next day.

Saturday, August 14, 2010

In a large pot, heat milk to 190 degrees, stirring to keep the bottom from scorching.

Once the milk reaches 190, slowly add all the vinegar. Stir until white curds separate and are floating in the yellow-ish whey.

Pour curds and when into a colander lined with 3-4 layers of cheesecloth. Let drain for several hours. Store cheese in an air-tight container. It will keep for up to two weeks.

NOTES:

This is a good, spreadable cheese and can be flavored with herbs, garlic, etc.

I used about 3/4-1 cup of powdered sugar, 1/4 cup milk or cream (maybe less, depending on the texture), and the outer peel of one lemon (grated on a micro-plane) to make canolli filling. I whipped it with the whisk attachment of my Kitchen-aid. Very good!

I've also salted it a little (herbs and garlic are also good here) and used it for lasagna or manicotti - basically, wherever you'd use ricotta.

Sometimes it's necessary to add a little more vinegar to make the curds separate. If it doesn't happen within a minute, add the extra.

Bake or fry tater tots according to package directions. Make sure they’re a little on the crisp side. Warm tortillas in the oven or microwave; keep warm and soft.

Brown breakfast sausage in a large skillet, breaking it up as you go along.

Mix eggs, half and half, salt, and pepper, and beat with a fork or whisk until totally combined. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat and cook the eggs, scrambling them until they’re in smaller pieces and no longer wet.

To assemble, add ingredients to the middle 1/3 of a warm tortilla in this order: cheese, eggs, sausage, tater tots, chopped onion, jalapeno, and tomato slices. Wrap one side of the tortilla, then the other. Wrap burrito tightly in a square of foil and keep warm. Reheat in the oven if necessary.

Serve with salsa on the side.

NOTES: I used banana peppers (yum!) for those who like such things. These were better than my usual bb's due to the additional step of baking them for a few minutes. It really made a nice difference and the oven was warm because Holly baked muffins anyway. There were a couple left over, and they microwaved nicely the next morning.

2. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Sprinkle pecans over egg mixture. Combine butter and remaining sugar; drizzle over the top. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees F for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with blueberries. Bake 10 minutes longer or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Butter a 9 by 9-inch glass baking dish** and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread the oats, sunflower seeds,*** almonds, and wheat germ onto a half-sheet pan. Place in the oven and toast for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.†

In the meantime, combine the honey, brown sugar, butter††, extract and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the brown sugar has completely dissolved.

Once the oat mixture is done, remove it from the oven and reduce the heat to 300 degrees F. Immediately add the oat mixture to the liquid, add the dried fruit, and stir to combine. Turn mixture out into the prepared baking dish and press down,††† evenly distributing the mixture in the dish. Place in the oven to bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Notes:

*I used dried blueberries, cherries, and golden raisins

**A batch and a half works well in a 9x13 pan

***The original recipe calls for raw seeds in the shell. I used regular roasted seeds and added them with the fruit.

†Make sure you stir them together before toasting; the wheat germ will burn if it's left out on its own.

††I substituted peanut butter, and it was pretty yummy.

†††Pack mixture very firmly into the pan, or you will get granola instead of granola bars.

NOTES: Obviously you could alter this sauce recipe a thousand different ways. I made it exactly as called for and it was good. I did forget to cover it and the cheese was very crusty but the chicken was still moist. (I didn't take a photo for this reason.)